Past, Present, and the Future
by Ari Powwel
Summary: [one-shot] . . . we all know what’s happened to Riku at the end of Kingdom Hearts. We know what’s happening to Sora. But what’s going to happen to Kairi?


**Title:** Past, Present, and the Future.  
**Author name:** Ari Powwel  
**Author email:** spiffy_yet_insane@hotmail.com  
**Spoilers:** The end of Kingdom Hearts  
**Summary:** . . . we all know what's happened to Riku at the end of Kingdom Hearts. We know what's happening to Sora. But what's going to happen to Kairi?  
**DISCLAIMER:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by various publishers including but not limited to Disney Interactive and Square Co., Ltd. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
**Author's Notes:** . . . I don't know. I just felt like writing, and this is the production. 'Tis my first fic written in present tense . . . **squints at it**   
I didn't even know how this was going to end until halfway down the third page . . . ^^;; and it's only a couple sentences past the end of the third page.  
Please note that this is a ONE-SHOT. This means I won't be writing a Kingdom Hearts 2 fic . . . for the following reasons: there's enough of those already; if I _did_ write one, I'd more'n likely be borrowing ideas, nothing I write would compare to others I've read, and knowing Disney/Squaresoft, they'll come up with something to shock us all – though Koorino Megumi's fic, Reverse Side of Darkness ((http:// www. fanfiction. net/ read.php? storyid=1222396)) comes pretty damn close!!  
So I don't expect to have reviews saying 'PLZ CONTINUE', mk? Mk. Thank you for reading and we now cut back to your regularly scheduled fic.  
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Sometimes Kairi looks around Destiny Islands. She remembers. Everything. She remembers sending Riku and Sora out to look for supplies for the raft. She remembers watching Riku and Sora sparring. She remembers when she first arrived and the two boys brought her to the Islands. 

Sometimes Kairi goes into the Secret Place. She looks around at all the pictures covering the walls. She sees her own drawings of the children on the island. She sees Sora's drawings, of her, and Riku, and of Sora himself. She sees Riku's drawings of . . . life. 

Then Kairi wonders. For how long did Riku strive to see other worlds? Was he really willing to do anything? She remembers, though, when Ansem wanted to kill her, Riku stopped him. Just as Sora had. It confuses Kairi. Sora and Riku were on different 'sides', yet they both wanted the same thing. They both wanted to save her . . . such a strange thing. 

Then Kairi shakes her head to clear it of confusion, and crouches beside another drawing, hidden behind a boulder. She smiles as she looks at the two faces, and at the two arms, each presenting the other face with a paopu fruit. '_Sora_ . . .' the words fall from her lips, almost unbidden. She wonders where Sora is now, if he's safe, if he's thinking of her at the same time. 

She wonders what's become of Riku. She hasn't seen him since he stopped Ansem. She hadn't thought to ask Sora what happened, and she knows that if she had been to ask, he'd probably have avoided answering. She fears the worst for Riku . . . her friend. Kairi sighs as she looks at another drawing, of her, Riku, and Sora. No paopu fruits were present in this drawing, but Kairi knows that even without the fruit, she and the two boys' destinies will always be intertwined. She runs her finger over the faces, murmuring softly, 'Come back to me . . .'

Kairi hears Selphie calling to her from the mouth of the cave. 'Kairi, come out of there!' With a last sigh, she turns from the drawings and walks out of the Secret Place. 'You spend too much time in there,' Selphie chastises her. 'If you don't stop, you could lose sight of everything!'

Kairi shrugs and smiles at Selphie, hoping this would discourage the girl. However, it doesn't, and Kairi is forced to join her, Wakka, and Tidus. 

Later in the afternoon, Kairi manages to break away from the three, walking out to Riku's Paopu. None of the other three come out here much anymore; it reminds them of the missing boys. She perches on the tree and watches the sunset, remembering the conversations they used to have.

_ 'So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?' Sora and Kairi sat on the branch of the paopu tree; Riku leaned against the trunk._

_'Could be. We'll never know by staying here.'_

_'But how far could a raft take us?' _

_'Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else.' _

_'So, suppose you get to another world,' Kairi said, giggling. 'What would you do there?'_

_'Well, I haven't really thought about it. It's just . . . I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds . . . then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?'_

_'I don't know,' Sora laid back on the branch._

_'That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go.'_

_'You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?' Kairi asked, looking down at Riku. The boy looked back at her before staring out at the ocean again._

_'Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought about this. Kairi, thanks.'_

_'. . . you're welcome,' Kairi responded, not quite sure if she should or not._

Kairi watches the sun sink beyond the horizon, bringing a beautiful sunset. She remembers the shades of orange she had so many times watched with the two. 

'Kairi! Are you coming?' Selphie tries to include Kairi in her, Tidus, and Wakka's little group, but Kairi is content with being apart. She'll wait for Sora and Riku. 

'You guys go ahead, I'll be along soon!' Kairi calls to her, turning back to the setting sun. She closes her eyes, feeling the heat on her face. She hears the gentle sounds of the surf lapping up on the beach, broken only by the sounds of the other kids' boats paddling away. She stares at the sun, remembering what she had heard from a friend, a very long time ago . . . 

_'I don't want you to leave!' A young Kairi cried, hugging her friend close. 'You're my only friend here!'_

_The other girl had separated herself with a smile. 'Don't worry, Kairi. No matter where I am, remember, we always see the same sun. You can look up and know that I'm looking at the same one, and remembering you.'_

'Are you two looking at the same sun?' Kairi wonders. She wonders how long it'll be before Sora comes back. Because he's never gone back on a promise . . . 

Kairi sighs and slides off of the tree, knowing in her heart it was time to go. She walked slowly across the beach, remembering all the times she, Riku, and Sora had camped out on it, coming out at midnight to play in the water. The water plays over her bare feet, her shoes dangle from her hand. She expects someone to run up to her and pull her into the deeper water, like Sora would always do. 

But no-one does, and Kairi walks up the stairs to the dock, remembering what she and Sora had discussed.

_'You know, Riku's changed.'_

_'What do you mean?'_

_'Well . . .'_

_'You okay?'_

_'Sora, let's take the raft and go -- just the two of us!'_

_'Huh?'_

_'Just kidding.'_

_'What's gotten into you? You're the one who's changed, Kairi.'_

_'Maybe . . . you know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?'_

_'Yeah, of course!'_

_'That's good. Sora, don't ever change.'_

_'Huh?'_

_'I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great.'_

Kairi wishes that they could go back to those days, where the biggest issue was the raft. She wishes that she didn't have to sit and wait for her friends to come back. She sighs again, seeing now that the moon has come out, and knows she should be home already. She puts on her shoes, climbs in her boat, and soon the islands are eerily quiet once again.

*        *        *

Kairi wakes up suddenly, bolting upright. She tries to go back to sleep, but something is nagging at her. She climbs out of her bed and crosses to the window, looking out at Destiny Islands. Suddenly wide-awake, she dresses and slips out the window, climbing down the tree. There is a faint glow coming from the Secret Place. Kairi sees the lights on in another house and ducks down behind a wall, wondering if Selphie's seen it. 

_How late is it?_ Kairi wonders suddenly. She's forgotten to check her clock . . . Kairi climbs into her boat, and the time is forgotten. Her paddle slides through the water quickly, propelling her boat through the water faster. She ties it up at the docks, then begins to run to the Secret Place, then stops. She enters the shack on the beach, picking up one of the boys' wooden swords. Riku's is too big for her to handle – Kairi stops. Actually, neither of the swords would work well, Kairi was never one to fight. She picks up a long pole, like Tidus uses, and smiles, remembering it had belonged to both Riku _and_ Sora in turn. It's lightweight, and easy to handle, and Kairi makes her decision, putting down the sword for the pole. 

Kairi exits the shack and stands outside the Secret Place momentarily. She takes a deep breath before walking in and through the tunnel.

Inside the Secret Place, Kairi sees that the door on the other side of the cave has been flung open; light streams from it. She stands in front of the door, trying to make herself go in.

'This time, I'll fight!' Kairi tells herself, and walks into the light before she loses her nerve. The door shuts behind her, and the night is still once more. The knot holding Kairi's boat to the dock has accidentally been loosed, and it floats from the deck, the tides opposing it. Before the dawn, however, one tide will win, pushing the boat to another island. 

There is nothing to signify that Kairi was once on the island.

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. . . well, that was . . . different. But I, for some reason, like it.

If you liked it, or if you didn't like it, or if you flat out hate it, I ask you to review.


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